Palestinian protests spring up against Obama visit

March 20, 2013|Reuters

* Activists set up protest camp near settlement site

* Urge U.S. president to take up their cause

By Noah Browning

E1, West Bank, March 20 (Reuters) - Palestinian activistsset up a protest camp on Wednesday close to where Israel wantsto build a new settlement in the occupied West Bank, drawingattention to their struggle during a visit to the region by U.S.President Barack Obama.

Over a hundred demonstrators erected four large,steel-framed tents and a massive Palestinian flag on the rugged,rocky tract near Jerusalem, just as Obama arrived in nearby TelAviv for three days of talks and meetings.

"We are here to send a message to President Obama, ourstruggle, our non-violent peaceful resistance will continueuntil we are free," said senior Palestinian politician MustafaBarghouthi, standing on the windy outcrop.

Israeli police entered the tent colony and told protestersto clear the area, which they called a "closed military zone,"but did not immediately try to tear down the camp.

Obama was holding talks with Israeli Prime Minister BenjaminNetanyahu on Wednesday and is due to travel to the West Bank onThursday to meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

He has said he was coming to listen and would not bring anew peace initiative, three years after the last directnegotiations between the Israelis and Palestinians broke downover the question of Jewish settlement construction.

Palestinians complain that Obama has not put enough pressureon Israel to halt the settlements and warn that the prospect ofcreating a viable, independent state is fading fast.

Netanyahu announced in December plans to build hundreds ofsettler homes in a sensitive area on Jerusalem's outskirts thatis known by its administrative name E1.

If construction goes ahead, E1 would create a linked-upstretch of Jewish neighbourhoods in the West Bank between PisgatZeev and Maale Adumim, a settlement of some 30,000 Israelis.

Palestinians say this would destroy hopes of tying togethertheir communities across East Jerusalem, which they want as thecapital of their country.

In the West Bank city of Hebron, a cauldron of tensionbetween Palestinians and Israeli settlers, dozens of school-agePalestinian children wore Obama masks to protest at his visitand marched through the streets.

Israeli forces arrested several of the demonstrators whowere marching through Shuhada Street, the city's Palestiniancommercial hub until Israel unilaterally closed it in 1994.

GAZA FIRE

"We say to Obama, visiting occupied Palestine is a terribleidea. If you want peace for two states, seek justice for us,"said Jamal Jafar, an activist involved in Wednesday's protest.

Palestinian activists have repeatedly established tent campsin areas close to Israeli settlements in recent months in a bidto throw a spotlight on unhindered Jewish construction.

All the sites were subsequently demolished by Israeliforces, who say they present a security risk and lack buildingpermits. A handful of Israeli soldiers gathered on the fringesof Wednesday's camp, but did not try to dislodge it.